POMS Reference

This change was made on Feb 12, 2018. See latest version.
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GN 02402.378: Coding Lebanon Bank Data on the Master Beneficiary Record (MBR)

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  • Effective Dates: 05/24/2016 - Present
  • Effective Dates: 02/12/2018 - Present
  • TN 68 (05-16)
  • GN 02402.378 Coding Lebanon Bank Data on the Master Beneficiary Record (MBR)
  • This section describes how to code bank data for international direct deposit (IDD) of Title II benefits to a financial institution (FI) in Lebanon. The Social Security Administration (SSA) stores IDD bank data on the MBR in the same fields used for United States (U.S.) direct deposit. Special coding identifies the data as a Lebanon direct deposit and allows us to route benefit payments through the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City (FRBKC) and the processor bank in Lebanon to the beneficiary's local FI.
  • NOTE: U.S. domestic (i.e., non-border) field offices (FOs) should not attempt to process an IDD request for this country. U.S. domestic FOs must forward all appropriate information to the Office of Earnings and International Operations, Division of International Operations (OEIO, DIO) for processing. For more information on forwarding IDD information, see GN 02402.205C, GN 01010.255, and GN 01702.310C.
  • A. How we receive IDD bank data
  • We receive requests to input bank data by mail, phone, or fax in the following formats:
  • * Blank check;
  • * SSA-1199-OP52 International Direct Deposit Signup Form for Lebanon or
  • * Any document containing required banking information.
  • NOTE: If upon receipt of the information, there are any discrepancies, follow instructions in GN 00203.020 and GN 02402.025).
  • B. Multi-country contract
  • The processing FI for Lebanon has a prefix of 68 at the beginning of the Routing Transit Number (RTN).
  • C. Overview of IDD for Lebanon
  • IDD payments sent to Lebanon must be in Lebanese Pound (LBP) accounts at local FIs. The beneficiary must provide complete information to the Embassy, Consulate, or DIO for input. DIO faxes incomplete forms to the Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate that serves that territory. The FBU will contact the beneficiary or FI for the additional information.
  • The beneficiary must provide complete information to DIO or the Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) for input. DIO will fax incomplete forms to the FBU that serves Lebanon. The FBU contacts the beneficiary or FI for additional information.
  • D. Description of Lebanon IDD bank data
  • The data for coding IDD for Lebanon comes from the International Bank Account Number (IBAN) provided to the beneficiary by his or her FI. The full length of the IBAN for Lebanon consists of 28 characters. However, the bank data on the MBR consists of 27 characters including Lebanon’s country code of C.
  • E. Procedure for coding Lebanon bank data
  • The FRBKC relies on SSA to provide the complete bank data to ensure correct posting of payments to a customer’s account. If the information is incomplete, the FRBKC rejects the payment and returns the funds to SSA. When establishing or changing IDD bank data for Lebanon, you can use an SSA system (i.e., Modernized Claims System (MCS), Manual Adjustment Credit and Award Data Entry (MACADE), etc.). However, you must go to ITS.gov to enter the full IBAN and Society for Worldwide Internet Financial Telecommunication-Business Identifier Code (SWIFT-BIC). If the complete bank account information is not in ITS.gov when the payment processes, the payment rejects and returns to SSA. When using ITS.gov, bank data posts to the MBR within four business days.
  • The SWIFT code consists of the following 8 to 11 alphanumeric characters:
  • * First four characters - bank code (only letters);
  • * Next two characters - ISO 3166-1 alpha-two country code (only letters);
  • * Next two characters - location code (letters and digits) (passive participant have "1" in the second character); and
  • * Last three characters - branch code, optional ('XXX' for primary office) (letters and digits).
  • 1. Initial award processing
  • Secure the full IBAN and SWIFT-BIC coding from the beneficiary at the time of filing. If you are working on an initial award, you must update ITS.gov using the bank account information prior to processing the award to ensure that the beneficiary receives his or her payment. If the complete bank account information is not in ITS.gov when the payment processes, the payment rejects and returns to SSA.
  • 2. Adding or updating bank data using SSA systems
  • You must enter the full IBAN and SWIFT-BIC bank information into ITS.gov on the same day if you use an SSA system to add or update bank data on the MBR (i.e. Post Entitlement Online System (POS), MACADE, etc.). Enter all POS direct deposit changes according to normal procedures. When coding IDD bank data in an SSA system for Lebanon within 4 business days of the current operational month (COM) cutoff date, use the procedure outlined in the following chart:
  • STEP
  • ACTION
  • 1
  • Are you coding an initial claim?
  • If yes, go to step 3.
  • If no, go to step 2.
  • 2
  • Is the beneficiary's address on the MBR in a foreign country (PCOC = 8)? If no, STOP.
  • REASON: The MBR does not accept the IDD information unless the address is in a foreign country.
  • If yes, go to step 3.
  • 3
  • Is the beneficiary's account an LBP account in Lebanon? If no, STOP.
  • REASON: Beneficiaries in Lebanon can only receive IDD payments in LBP accounts.
  • If yes, go to step 4
  • 4
  • To derive the nine-digit RTN for Lebanon, code as follows:
  • * Code the prefix of 68, (the multi-country prefix SSA and FRBKC designated to use for IDD to Lebanon).
  • * Code two filler zeros “00”
  • * Code the four-digit Bank code.
  • * Code the one-digit check code (obtain through Title II Interactive Comps)
  • NOTE: The final digit is the U.S. check digit code and is subject to change. Obtain check digit code through the Title II Interactive Comps from the Main Menus 07/Sub Menu 16.
  • 5
  • Code the Type of Account as an “S” for savings or a “C” for checking. If no indicated account type, use a “C” for checking account.
  • 6
  • Code the Depositor Account Number (DAN) for Lebanon as follows:
  • * Start with a country code of C designated for Lebanon
  • * Code 16 digits of the 20-digit Customer Account Number.
  • 7
  • You must take action on the same business day to update the full IBAN and SWIFT into ITS.gov.
  • If you do not have access to ITS.gov, ask a co-worker who has access to update the required information into ITS.gov. FRBKC will need all of this information in order to process the IDD payment. When this information is not available, FRBKC will reject the payment and return it to SSA.
  • F. Example of coding Lebanon direct deposit
  • The customer provides us with the IBAN LB62099900000001001901229114
  • NOTE: The first two characters of a Lebanon IBAN are “LB,” that represents the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) country code. The third and fourth characters of the IBAN are the IBAN check digits. The technicians should never code the IBAN ISO country code or the check digit to the MBR. The fifth through eighth characters of the IBAN represent the four-digit bank code. The last 20 digits of the IBAN represent the 20-digit account number.
  • The technician should take the following actions:
  • * Derive the RTN as follows:
  • * Code the prefix of 68
  • * Code two filler zeros “00”
  • * Code the four-digit bank code, “0999”
  • * Code the one-digit check code (i.e., 7) (obtained from the Title II interactive Comps from the Main Menus 07/Sub Menu 16); and
  • * Code the type of account as a “C” for Checking or an “S” for Savings. If no account type indicated, use a “C” for Checking.
  • * Derive the DAN as follows:
  • * Start with a country code of C designated for Lebanon; and
  • * Code the first 16 digits of the 20-digit Account Number “0000000100190122.”
  • The technician obtains the following:
  • IBAN LB62099900000001001901229114
  • RTN: 680009997
  • Checking
  • DAN: C0000000100190122
  • The coding in an SSA System reflects:
  • DIRECT DEPOSIT ROUTING TRANSIT NUMBER: 680009997
  • ACCOUNT TYPE (C/S): C
  • DEPOSITOR ACCOUNT NUMBER: C0000000100190122
  • CANCEL DIRECT DEPOSIT (Y):
  • DIRECT EXPRESS (Y):
  • The MBR reflects the following information:
  • RTN-680009997 DAN- CC0000000100190122